Balloons have proven to be an extremely pervasive and popular amusement device having been utilized by countless generations of children and adults. While balloons vary substantially in shape and size, all generally provide a fluid impervious continuous skin often formed to define a desired shape. The skin includes an extending usually tubular neck portion. The function of the neck portion is to provide for the introduction of a fluid under pressure to fill the interior of the balloon's skin. The balloon skin and neck are typically formed of a flexible resilient continuous structure available in a countless variety of colors and appearances. Most balloons utilize a skin and neck integrally formed of a resilient material such as rubber, latex or flexible resilient plastic materials. The essential characteristic of the balloon skin and neck material is to provide a skin which is largely impervious to the fluid to be introduced into the balloon. Additionally, balloons may be formed of various polymer materials such as mylar or the like to provide a somewhat different structure. In most such balloons, the material utilized is in thin sheet form and is typically flexible but not capable of extensive stretching. In a common construction found to be economically suitable, a pair of substantially mirror-image sheets of this material is joined along the outer edges thereof to provide a fluid confining volume.
In generally related technologies, fluid bladders generally resemble resilient stretchable rubber or latex-type balloons but find their use in more commercially oriented environments. Thus, such resilient fluid bladders are often used within a confining enclosure or container to provide a sealed volume of fluid. In this type of application, the confining enclosure or container may be a shipping container or, alternatively, may be a relatively unstretchable sports article such as a football, basketball or soccer ball. The essential function provided in such bladders is similar to the function desired in balloons which is simply to provide a reliable sealed container for the fluid therein.
The typical resilient stretchable balloon which is generally most pervasive in the party and amusement applications is formed of a rubber or latex material which enjoys extensive popularity due in part to its easy inexpensive manufacture as well as its ability to provide a virtually endless variety of colors. For the most part, such balloons are formed over a mandrel or plug which is dipped into the liquid rubber or latex material to provide a thin film upon the mandrel or plug afterwhich cooling in a liquid such as water fixes the material. The completed balloon is then simply rolled from the mandrel or plug.
In the most pervasive and well know play patterns for balloons, air is introduced through the balloon neck under pressure to provide a confined volume of air within the balloon skin. As the pressure within the skin is increased, the resilient stretchable characteristic of the skin allows the balloon to expand or be “blown-up”. Once the desired extent of inflation of the balloon has been accomplished, the user typically seals the fluid within the balloon by simply tying a knot in the balloon neck. Balloons may be inflated with pump apparatus or simply blown-up by placing the balloon neck end into the user's mouth and blowing into the balloon. The resulting air-filled balloon is close to neutral in its buoyancy within the air allowing it to float to some degree within the air and have a general characteristic to descend when not touched by the user.
In other play patterns utilizing such stretchable flexible balloons, an alternative gas such as helium or the like selected for its lighter weight relative to air is used to inflate the balloon. The inflation process is the same as pressurized gas such as helium is introduced through the balloon neck causing the confined volume of gas within the balloon to stretch and expand the balloon. Once again, the seal of the gas within the inflated balloon is typically carried forward by simply tying off the balloon neck. The resulting play article is substantially buoyant in the air due to the lighter weight of the confined gas within the balloon. Thus, such lighter than air gas-filled balloons float and will rise unless restrained by a tether or the like.
In still play patterns, balloons are filled with a heavier liquid type fluid such as water. Water filling a typically stretchable resilient balloon provides a volume of water confined within the balloon skin which due to its weight and a slight fluid pressure will expand the balloon's skin to enlarge the balloon somewhat. Typically, water-filled balloons are not expanded to the size increase which characterizes balloons filled with air, helium or other gases. Once again, the fluid seal is attained by simply tying off the filler neck of the balloon. Filling a typical resilient stretchable balloon with a fluid such as water provides a flexible heavy amusement device which has proven enjoyable to manipulate and use in play patterns. Because the typical balloon filled with water will burst when impacted, the play patterns which involve launching or throwing balloons at or toward a target object causing them to burst on impact have proven to be an amusing and often mischievous play pattern.
Despite the extensive popularity and proliferation of balloons as amusement devices, a vexing problem has persisted in sealing the fluid within the filled balloon. While practitioners in the art have attempted to solve this problem with various valves, fluid traps and the like, the resulting apparatus has been largely unsuccessful due the increase in costs and increase in balloon weight which they produce. Thus, while simply tying the filler neck of a balloon is not a perfect solution for sealing the fluid therein due to the often difficult and tedious process in tying a suitable knot and attaining a suitable seal, it remains the best alternative to date.
The need to improve balloon sealing has prompted practitioners in the art to try a variety of devices. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,917,646 issued to Kieves sets forth a SELF-SEALING VALVE, A SELF-SEALING, NON-LATEX BALLOON, AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING SUCH A BALLOON sets forth a sealing apparatus for use in a balloon having an elongated filler neck and a reservoir body within which a valve fabricated from a pair of flexible plastic sheets bonded together is situated within the filler neck. The valve sheets separate during filling and are pressed closed by internal pressure to affect balloon seal.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,248,275 issued to McGrath, et al. sets forth a BALLOON WITH FLAT FILM VALVE AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURE having a balloon defining a reservoir and a filler neck. A pair of flat flexible valve elements are supported within the balloon interior proximate the junction of the filler neck and balloon reservoir. During filling the filling pressure separates the flat valve elements while, once filled, a seal is created by the flat plates being driven together.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,188,558 issued to Barton, et al. sets forth a SELF-SEALING REFILLABLE PLASTIC BALLOON VALVE utilizing a pair of plastic film sheets supported within the valve filler neck and are bonded thereto.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,349,417 issued to Hefferman sets forth a SELF-SEALING INFLATABLE ARTICLE having an inflatable body portion and filling neck connected thereto. A ring member supporting the opening of the filler neck and a plug member for sealing the opening cooperate to provide balloon sealing.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,736,793 issued to Meyer, et al. sets forth a SELF-SEALING DETACHABLE BALLOON having an inflatable balloon body supporting a self-sealing valve. The balloon is formed of an elastomeric membrane having a fill opening. The self-sealing valve is made up of a valve body for receiving an inflation instrument to inflate the balloon. Once the inflation instrument is withdrawn, the valve closed to complete sealing of the balloon.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,922,116 issued to Nguyen, et al. sets forth a DEVICE AND METHOD FOR SEALING AND LIGHTING A BALLOON utilizing a balloon having a fillable reservoir and filler neck. A combination valve and battery-powered light source is inserted into the balloon neck to provide sealing and illumination of the balloon interior.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,295,892 issued to Felton sets forth a BALLOON HAVING SELF SEALING VALVE AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME providing a fillable elastic balloon reservoir and fill neck coupled thereto. The neck supports a valve utilized in allowing pressurized fluid to pass through the valve into the interior and providing valve closure once the fill instrument has been withdrawn.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,015,472 issued to Garcia sets forth METHOD OF PRODUCING A BALLOON WITH SELF-SEALING VALVE while U.S. Pat. No. 5,378,299 issued to McGrath, et al. sets forth a METHOD OF MAKING A BALLOON WITH FLAT FILM VALVE, both of which provide methods and apparatus for fabricating self-sealing balloons.
While the foregoing described prior art devices have to some extent advanced the balloon art and in some instances endeavored to achieve commercial success, there remains nonetheless a continuing need in the art for an improved seal method and apparatus which readily and reliably seals a fluid-filled balloon without substantially increasing the weight or without an intricate complex operation.